I love long weekend trips! And this trip was double the fun because it was a “girls’ trip!”
We flew into Boston then picked up a rental car for the 80-mile drive to Cape Cod. Our accommodations were a 200-year old home and cottage in West Dennis which is one of the many charming, coastal towns. Without exception, every town I visited on the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard was beaming with excellent seafood, historical architecture, and friendly people. Funny how the Northeast seems to value and maintain its old buildings and furnishings while much of the country tears down, throws out, and starts over.
Day One was spent on Martha’s Vineyard which is an easy one-hour ride on the ferry from Hyannis to Oak Bluffs. 
Our excellent host was a local to both Massachusetts and Virginia so she was perfect to show us around. Over the course of the day, she drove us to all six towns on the island, stopping for highlights along the way. 
Leaving the port at Oak Bluffs, we passed this idyllic grass square complete with a gazebo and geese. Without noticing that we’d left Oak Bluffs, we ran straight into Edgartown where we stopped for lunch. Time for a lobster roll!
Edgartown is the county seat (aka “shire”) and it still holds the look of the wealthy whaling days with rows of big, white homes for the ship captains.
Just off the tip of and part of Edgartown is Chappaquiddick Island, a small state park marked by a ranger taking tolls. Access to Chappaquiddick is off the paved road via a small, dirt road and a low bridge that spans a waterway about 8-10 ft deep at high tide, according to the ranger. It sent chills down my arms to think about July 18, 1969 when Ted Kennedy drove off the bridge, swam free, left Mary Jo Kopechne inside the submerged car, and did not report the incident until the next day. Minutes before he notified authorities, Mary Jo’s body was recovered by local police. Kennedy pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident that caused personal injury and was sentenced to two months in jail; all of it suspended. He continued to have a successful political career and was the second-most senior member of the U. S. Senate when he died in 2009. Here’s a picture of the Chappaquiddick Bridge. 
The entire island of Martha’s Vineyard is 100 square miles (about 22-mile long and 5 miles wide) and is referred to geographically by locals as up-island and down-island or sections such as west chop and east chop. (We were told the island is shaped like a pork chop thus the expressions.) 
Up-island has three small, rural towns–Aquinnah, Chilmark and West Tisbury. In Aquinnah, the western most point of the island, we stopped at the beautiful Gay Head cliffs and lighthouse.
Aquinnah is less than six square miles and is home to the Native American Wampanoag Tribe. The day we visited there was a Native American festival going on near the cliffs.
Next to Acquinnah is Chilmark with Menemsha. There was something extra-special about the little fishing village of Menemsha and I would love to go back to spend more time there. It’s a favorite spot for watching the sunset while savoring take-out lobster dinner.
Winding out the last of the six towns, Vineyard Haven (aka Tisbury) is followed by West Tisbury. Vineyard Haven is the primary harbor and stays open all year long unlike Oak Bluffs. All along the way we were directed to huge homes and sites with local history such as the estate where the Obamas stay when they’re in town, the theater where Jackie Kennedy frequented, the community center where James Taylor or his brother and sister perform, and the neighborhood where Carly Simon and her family live.
Back in Oak Bluffs for the return ferry to Cape Cod, we stopped by the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meting community. This is an adorable community of 318 gingerbread cottages, each one cuter than the one before. 
The community was founded in the early 1800’s as a camp with tent sites for inter-denominational Christians to meet and worship. Today it’s recognized as a National Historic Site. 
The homes have names and dates displayed on the porches and makes for a lovely, afternoon stroll. I felt like we were walking through the setting for the Hansel & Gretel fairytale.
Near our ferry port, we stopped at Nancy’s, the restaurant where Malia Obama worked last summer. 
(I did not take this picture of Malia nor did I see her. If I saw any famous people, I didn’t recognize them.) Our server said she worked as a hostess for a couple nights then was moved to the window of the outdoor cafe. Once she was recognized it became a side-show and Secret Service removed her. It’s easy to see why wealthy people and celebrities like Martha’s Vineyard. We never saw a police officer and I assume there’s little-to-no crime. In spite of the incredible wealth, everyone was quite unassuming and uniformly pleasant.
Back on Cape Cod we spent the next couple days biking, hiking and enjoying the huge cultural change from Virginia Beach. Entering the Indian Lands Conservation Area at the West Dennis trail head to the Cape Cod Rail Trail, we hiked along the Bass River.
The area had very few people and was full of birds, butterflies, and natural beauty. Both of my hiking companions are biologists so they positively identified a red-tailed hawk giving us an aerial show swooping repeatedly over the wetlands.
Cape Abilities Farm is a non-profit organization providing employment and skills training for people with disabilities. The beautiful produce and flowers are then sold at stands and served in restaurants across the Cape. We stopped at the farm in Dennis to explore a bit and left with honey, candy and other treats. 
Next to the lobster, perhaps my favorite thing about Cape Cod is the Cape Cod Rail Trail. There are so many miles of great biking between quaint towns. We rode the Shining Sea Bike trail between Falmouth and Woods Hole. 
Once in Woods Hole, we parked our bikes by the ferry station and walked through the town stopping to sit a while with Rachel Carson, pioneer marine biologist, conservationist, and author of “Silent Spring” credited with promoting a global environment movement. 
Next stop was the Marine Biological Laboratory. There is no fee but donations are accepted. All the displays were of life found in the area including this skate…
and this angel fish.
Where ever I go and however great the museums, aquariums and other places are, my favorite thing to do is almost always walking the streets and getting a feel for the community. 
On my first trip to the Cape I was introduced to the Boston accent and frequent conversations regarding Ivy League schools, universally liberal politics, and topics that rarely come up in SE VA conversations. Now on my third trip to Cape Cod I know what to expect and I warmly welcome the diversity of sound and thought.
While the beaches are fine, they’re not amazing. First, it’s never warm enough for me to sit in my bathing suit and, secondly, the water is cold which is not good for me but is a favorite for sharks. The Saturday after our visit a man was killed by a shark attack at Wellfleet Beach. That’s the second shark attack at Cape Cod beaches this summer.
Evenings on the Cape were almost magical. Passing neighbors and dogs, we walked to the beach for sunset …
then happy hour at the cottage …
and a delicious dinner with interesting conversation in the comfort of the Emslie’s summer home passed down through generations. After dinner we walked about 1/2 mile to O’Shea’s for live music and fellowship with local residents. 
It’s the friendliest place I can think of. The Spampinato Brothers rocked the place on Saturday night! You might remember them from “The Simpsons” where they played in cartoon characterizations. Our server danced across the floor, hugged everyone she met, and almost cried begging us not to fly back to Virginia Beach where a hurricane was approaching. 
“Cheers” where the television show was filmed is in nearby Boston but, in my experience, O’Shea’s is where everybody knows your name.
There’s no doubt that I’ll go back to Cape Cod. Perhaps I’ll be brave enough to go in winter next time. It could be fun to see everything covered in snow. Hurricanes and all, there’s no place like home.
I saw this sign at one of the many little shops in Falmouth. It seems to fit.
I rolled right through Arkansas passing countless billboards for barbecue restaurants. Not the easiest place for a pescatarian to find lunch.
The last day we hiked in Malibu Creek Canyon Park. One trail leads to the former site of the television show M*A*S*H*. We climbed around on some of the abandoned props and walked through the familiar mess tent with picnic tables. 
Throw in excellent restaurants and top it off with a full moon as viewed from the rooftop bar of the Watergate. All in all, it was a delightful two-day stay in our nation’s capitol.
to Lewes which was my favorite town of the several we visited. It’s quaint and, while still touristy, somehow classier than the others that were filled with music, drinking, boaters, and sunbathers. 
It’s far better when you walk with someone who knows the history so we were in great luck. 
This is no slight to the culture that is arguably the finest in the world, but with the flu we opted out of the concert that we had planned and kept our activities to relatively low-key walks and cafes.
We then crossed the river and turned north, walking past the Fraumunster Church with windows by Chagall and Giacometti, through the shopping district and up to the main train station. It’s almost like walking through a museum because the architecture is so beautiful. It certainly makes me question the utilitarian style of buildings back home.
The women’s clothing in the window displays throughout Switzerland has been so pleasing with slightly-muted, solid colors, natural fabrics and simple designs. They’re much more in line with what I like that American fashion which makes me smile. Even generations after my ancestors left Switzerland, it seems that some of the culture is in my basic nature just as my father shared the majority of the classic Swiss temperament and work ethic.
We enjoyed a relaxing train ride from Blonay to Zermatt, first passing along Lac Leman with France in clear view just across the lake then up into the mountains to the German part of Switzerland with Italy just to the south. 
We passed villages, castles, vineyards, waterfalls then finally entered the snowy landscape. More than the language changes. You can somehow notice the change in attitudes — the locals are much more direct; still very clean and efficient but with an edge about them. My father’s ancestors came from a small part of Switzerland, near St. Moritz, where the German dialect is still very similar to the Pennsylvania Dutch he grew up with in an Amish community. I recall a small conversation my father many years ago. I commented there are many ways to do the same thing. He said, “No, there’s the one best way; all other ways are wrong.”
Also known as “The Smallest of Big Cities,” Daniel and I arrived in Geneva at 6:30 AM after flying all night from Newark, NJ. In only a short time, we were commenting on its quietness, cleanliness, and politeness. It’s the opposite on NYC, Bangkok, or Rome. I never heard a horn honking or a person shouting. Later, while discussing our impressions with French/Swiss friends we were told that, yes, the Swiss people place a big emphasis on such things but they are also quite cold and closed off, not making friends quickly.
We had just two days to enjoy the city so we walked the streets, hit some of the highlights, and met quite a few lovely local people at coffee shops and cafes. Perhaps, my first thoughts of Switzerland are alps, cheeses, chocolates, banks, and watches. Geneva is certainly prominent in the high-performance watch sector.
There’s a Patek Phillipe museum that, regrettably, wasn’t open when we went by but we stopped at a Rolex store to admire the gorgeous watches. 
Located in an industrial building with an obscure entrance, we spent a couple hours at the MAMCO (museum of modern and contemporary art) that offered some impressive paintings and installations by primarily European artists (there was one Warhol) over the past 40 years.
When visiting St. Peters Cathedral, you will appreciate the beautiful architecture and stained-glass windows but don’t forget to turn around to admire the organ pipes. Sorry we couldn’t stay for a concert but it must have amazing acoustics. 
This double rainbow shows the good fortune to be able to leave cold, snowy Hampton Roads in February to celebrate my mother’s 92nd birthday. 
Every day was sunny and about 82 degrees, perfect for sitting by the pool or walking on the beach. 
Mom made friends all over the resort. I got this picture of her crashing a wedding reception and dancing with the father of the bride. 
And here are Mom and Kristina with umbrella drinks at the pool bar.
Five days and four nights at an all-inclusive resort was great fun and, definitely, broke up the winter cold. What a great way to celebrate my beautiful mother with my daughter, Kristina, and niece, Crys. One thing is certain, my mother is an amazing woman!
“Her children rise up and call her blessed.” Proverbs 31:28
I have so much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving 2017—my loving family back home and elsewhere, my sweet friend to share this experience, and the most fortunate combination of time, money and health for yet another adventure! I’m, indeed, a lucky girl and I know it.
We jumped in a rental car and arrived in Sedona in time for an afternoon hike among some of the most beautiful rock formations on this earth. I packed for seasonal weather of 60’s in the day and 40’s at night but it was a surprising 85 degrees!
Sedona is an awesome town dripping with local artisans, yoga studios, and Native American influence. There are lovely sculptures all over town. 
The permitting process must include strict architectural review because all the buildings and signs blend well with the geography. And, there’s no end to fine dining establishments, all of which are situated with amazing views and excellent ambiance. I recommend Rene at Tlaquepaque, Mariposa, and Oaxaca.
As hard as it may be to believe, we enjoyed all this in just the first 24 hours.
Heading out after breakfast, we drove north bound for Zion National Park, Utah. This is my idea of an excellent way to spend Black Friday—out in nature; far away from malls, traffic and frenzied shoppers. It’s about a 4-hour drive but we stopped many times at random places to take pictures or explore a bit. 
One notable stop was the Glen Canyon Dam that is beautiful with its pale orange canyon walls trimmed with white limestone reminiscent of a cream-cycle.
This was my third visit to the park but it never loses its amazement as if I remember it intellectually but can’t possibly recall the emotions it evokes until I’m there again.
Saturday morning we embarked on a full day of hiking, tackling the most challenging first…the five and a half mile roundtrip trek up to Angels Landing and back down. Yep, we climbed from street/river level to the very top of this cliff.
Passing people on the narrow ledge of rock was quite unsettling at times. At the worst spots, there is a chain to hold onto, as shown in the next two pictures. 
If you look closely you can see people ascending and descending. It’s a 2,000 ft drop at approximately 6,000 ft above sea level so you don’t want to get dizzy and slide off the side. It was very windy when we were on this section of the trail. 
There were several difficult areas like this passage. Quite a few people stopped short of the very top at the end of the trail. It’s moderately-difficult and good shoes are highly recommended it but doesn’t require special climbing gear. We spotted two legit climbers on the vertical sides of the canyon walls and were told they take several days to summit, sleeping on the narrow ledges at night.
Wisely, we packed protein bars, snacks and water because there are no concessions inside the park at all. There were a few areas with rest rooms and water refilling but that’s the extent of the services. I never even saw a ranger or a ranger station but there was a welcome center at one end of the park.
Our first stop was Glen Canyon and the Horseshoe Bend hike. This is a popular stop for tourists and tour buses. Just as we noticed in Zion, there seemed to be a lot of Asians, Europeans and Indians but very few Hispanics or Africans. Everyone was congenial and smiling with wonderment. I felt proud to share my beautiful America.
Next stop, Antelope Canyon! It’s important to try to go mid-day so the sunlight shines into the canyon for maximum color. 
This slot-canyon is on Navajo territory and access requires a reservation (no pun intended) with an Indian guide. I’m glad we booked ahead because all tours were sold out.
Like a Persian rug, the colors of the walls vary greatly depending on the angle at which you view them.
The three options are the upper, lower, and “the wave”. We opted for the upper which is the most frequently photographed portion and is on level ground. It’s an easy walk for people of all ages but not wheelchair accessible.
Wow, wow, wow!
After Antelope, we drove about three hours to spend our last night back in Sedona. Don’t think I can ever get too much of this beautiful town. Perhaps it was because late-November is considered off-season but, to my surprise, the entire town closed down early. We literally closed down a sports bar/restaurant and were asked to leave about 9:15 PM.
Walking through town, there are ample cafes and boutiques. Before leaving town, we enjoyed an excellent Mexican lunch with superb service. Such a peaceful, easy feeling surrounds Sedona.
The drive back to Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix was quick and easy; less than two hours. We dropped off the rental car (Ford Focus Hybrid that was comfortable and excellent on fuel consumption) then jumped on the train to the airport for the only inequity of the trip. Lyssett took a direct flight to Miami and arrived in about 4 hours. My flight through a connecting hub to reach Norfolk was almost double both the expense and time.
Kathryn Byler, blog 